Taking a taxi in London

Taking Taxis

Taking a taxi in London

London Black taxis are steeped in tradition and there for highly regulated to ensure a constant level of service throughout the capital. Every driver must complete “the knowledge,” a test of London’s roads and destinations, which is regarded as the hardest test for taxi drivers anywhere in the world with them having to learn 25,000 streets. The fares they charge are also set out in stone so that you should have a good idea of what you will be charged no matter which one you pull over.

  • “Black taxis” (although they do appear in othercolours) are the only form of taxi licensed to pick people up on demand from the street. Other forms of license mini cabs must be ordered in advance.
  • There is a minimum fare of £2.40 at all times and is then based on

    • Time of day
    • Distance travelled
    • Time taken
  • Unless they have a good reason not to, drivers must:

    • Accept any hiring up to 12 miles or any hiring up to one hour duration, if the destination is in Greater London
    • Accept any hiring up to 20 miles if starting at Heathrow Airport
    • Accept any hiring up to one hour duration, if the destination is in Greater London
  • A trip between central London and Heathrow should take between 30-60 miutes and cost £45-£85 depending on time of day and traffic condition.
  • A two mile journey will cost between £9-£15 depending on time of day and traffic condition.
  • A typical tip for a taxi is 10% of the total fare, but you may want to tip more if you have had help with your luggage etc or for longer journeys.
  • Cabwise – A free smartphone app to find nearest black taxi or you can text CAB to 60835 for the numbers of one black cab and one nearby mini cab.
  • Another app to find nearby black cabs is the Hailo app.